Guardian Angel
by Alexia the hedgehog
Summary: Angeal Hewley is mysteriously dropped into our world-Literally dropped onto a single mother of two children. Will this returned angel bring more troubles to this already struggling family...or a new hope that he was searching for all along?
1. Chapter 1

"Yes, I know, Mrs. Kroger smells funny-" The woman said as she walked down the hotel hallway, the sound of rolling thunder echoed in the distance as a twinge of a smile teased her pale pink lips," Honey, she lives in a very old house and that's why the smell- No, you can't tell her to air it out. Why?"

"Because that's very rude, Rudy, that's why! Didn't I teach you better?" She sighed as her fingers lightly pinched the bridge of her nose, but that smile still threatened to appear. On the other line was her twelve year old son, he had a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth as he replied his usual reply to her.

"Yes, momma. I have to respect my elders...but she's always pinching my cheek and that smell is just-" He whined into the phone, glancing around him to make sure his current caretaker wasn't listening in or that his very impressionable six year old sister was eavesdropping either, in case she decided to tattle-tale to Mrs. Kroger of what he had said.

"Sweetheart, I'll be back in just one more day okay? This is special time for mommy, then I'll come home and we'll spend the next day together, no work, no school work, just movies and games. How does that sound?" She said electronically dangling the bargain before her son's eyes as his heart leapt at the idea of spending all day, just goofing off and watching movies with his mother...and grudgingly his sister.

"Okay, I'll behave-"

"That's my boy. Now I've gotta go, they need to check my pass and scan my purse. I'll call you once I get back in my hotel room. Give my love to Cheri." She smiled blowing a kiss into the phone and listened a moment more to her son's goodbye's before she hit the red phone button, thus ending her call and now focused her attention to the guard standing just a few feet away from her. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small wallet, taking out her ID and pass for the convention that had earned the scorn of all the mothers in her small country town. She was twenty-nine years old with two children, single mother, mind you and she wanted just two days to herself. Just two tiny days, to go see something she had always loved since she was a teenager...Anime/Manga Conventions. She never Cosplayed of course, she found that she didn't think she could do any of her favorite characters justice, so she's just meander about enjoying the costumes and smiling faces.

She needed a vacation, a break from it all and while she'd give her life and very soul for her children...she wanted a small break. Just two measly days, letting the elderly widow, Mrs. Kroger, watch over her children while she went off to find herself once more. And now she was reveling in the sights and sounds of the convention, the gay chatters of the players, the bright coloring of the costumes, the tune of the lively anime theme songs playing. _Yes_. She thought, _this is just what I needed..._

A few hours had passed and that faint roll of thunder, turning to a crashing thunderstorm therefore ruining some of the player's costumes, that had spent endless hours and several months of work on. Her hand was on her mouth as she saw a small group of Final Fantasy VII players walk in, drenched to the bone and Cloud's Buster Sword now looked like wet soppy toilet paper. She knew she shouldn't have been snickering, she pitied all the work gone to waste but...it was terribly funny to her.

_** BOOM!**_

And in an instant the power was out, plunging the hotel into complete darkness and utter chaos as the younger teens screamed to add to the chaos and lurked towards the unsuspecting cosplayers. The young mother would have made a dash towards the glass wall separating the outdoor elements from the indoor convention to stay out of the chaos, but the second the lights went of something-Or rather, someone had fallen on her and was currently keeping her pinned to the ground.

"Oh gods." He moaned softly as he pushed himself off her and rolled onto his side, his hand moving to press his fingers to his temple area. The mother grimaced at the sharp pain in her shoulder then looked towards the large man laying beside her, she had caught the small groan from him and her motherly instincts had instantly reacted.

"Are you alright, sir?" She said fairly loudly over the noise of the screaming teens, the hysteria of older ones and lastly the sound of the guards shouting for people to remain calm. The dark haired woman sat up then leaned closer to the man that had stopped/fell her mid-sprint. Her hand brushed against his shoulder to rouse him, she could barely make out his face in the darkness to tell whether he was just stunned or really hurt. Then the bright florescent lights finally flickered on, she turned her head with a grimace at the burning lights then blinked a few times to adjust before looking back on the man.

She rubbed her eyes once more then looked back down...and just gaped at the person before. It was the most detailed and beautiful costume she had ever seen for a SOLDIER uniform, and so accurate to boot. He had the exact same hair as the character he portrayed, same strong chin and stubble too, broad shoulders, prominent chest and arm muscles as well. She couldn't believe her eyes as she continued to stare, then after a brash thought she leaned closer to the man's face- his eyes flashed open as her dark hazel eyes met with deep azure colored ones...just like Mako. She leapt back fearing he'd think ill of her hovering over him as her twitchy fingers quickly brushed back the loose strand of hair dangling close to her lip while the man moved to sit up then acknowledge the woman.

"Are you, alright?" she asked again in case he was unconscious the first time. He grimaced a bit still keeping his fingers pressed to his temple before answering back-

"I believe so."

She frowned after hearing his voice, which coincidently sounded like his character as well. Moving a bit closer she glanced over his arms to make sure there weren't any injuries or something of the sort.

"That's good to hear," She replied back then moved to stand up as he proceeded to do the same.", everyone was panicking after the lights went out. Thank goodness we weren't trampled in the stampede."

"The lights went out?" He frowned then looked about himself curiously "Where exactly am I, Miss..." Her eyed widened as she realized that she hadn't given him any clue as to who she was.

"Anise. My name is Anise and you are?"

"Angeal."

"That's cute. But really, what's your name?" She smiled at the dark haired man with a shake of her head as the man frowned at her then gave his surroundings another glance.

"Mam', I just told you."

"No, you told me who you're cosplaying as, not your actual name-"

"Miss, I don't even know what cosplaying is."

"Sir, I understand if you'd like to stay in character but-" Anise said holding up her hands defensively, knowing that some of the cosplayers took their costumes very seriously and it was obvious to her that this man before did as well. A sharp intake of air, rushed into her lungs as the man placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned closer to her

"My name is **_Angeal Hewley, 1st Class SOLDIER_**."

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><p>*headbang* I shouldn't be starting another one. I shouldn't be starting another one. But! I had these amazing inspirations to write this! And just wow! This is a spin off of <em><strong>Dragonia27's<strong>_ story _Gods Touched_ and _A Year of Memories_ on **_Deviant Art_**. She's an amazing writer and I just really loved both stories, I highly recommend you check it out! _**All credits go to her!** _

Another story that gave me the final push to do this story is _Second Chances_ by **_Skarsgaard _**here on Fanfiction, specifically chapter 8, because I love scenes of Marlene and Angeal getting along!

So anyways, this will proabably be very short, unless I get lots of reviews for me to make it long, I'm only planning on about 10 chapters or so, give or take, because I have a whole bunch of things I need to focus on as well, soooo. I hope you like it!

_~God Bless!~_


	2. Chapter 2

"S-Sir, why don't we go sit down." Anise said as she pulled away from him, a bit nervous and at the same time afraid that the man before her had severe head trauma of the sort. " There's a coffee shop a little ways down the hall, and we'll sort things out from there."

His azure eyes softened then quickly removed his hands from her shoulders, his tanned face had a slight tint of red at the apples of his cheeks as he realized how unsightly he had behaved. "I apologize. I shouldn't have reacted so harshly. I just-"

She forced a comforting smile and warmly patted his arm like she would to her own children. "That's alright. Lets just talk this out, okay?"

He nodded taking a deep breath then followed her through the crowds of rain soaked cosplayers, and over to the bustling coffee shop. Mako eyes scanned every bit of the crowded convention, nothing made much sense, especially when he saw people poorly dressed as SOLDIERs and the many failed attempts of a replica of his beloved Buster Sword- _Why on Gaia the puppy would leave it to that blond boy, I will never know_. He mused as he walked past a young teen dressed as the infamous Cloud Strife, shouldering a fairly recognizable Buster Sword.

The young woman stopped at a table then motioned him to sit down while she went to get the coffee, he winced at the scrape of the chair, it seemed like it was he was in a large cavern and it was filled with high pitched voices, the chair only adding to the number of infinite sounds. He frowned closing his eyes while keeping a hand pressed to his temples as he leaned on the table, anxiously waiting for the young woman to return with his favorite addiction on Gaia. Coffee. The aroma soothed his migraine the moment the cup of hot liquid was set before him, and only succeeded in calming the throbbing after the first sip.

"Okay. So lets start over and just take things from the top." She said slowly then took a quick sip from her own cup, which from Angeal's point of view, seemed to help her as well. He nodded in agreement, not wanting to further cause any strife between him and Anise. "Your name?"

"Angeal Hewley."

"What's your mother's name?"

"Gillian Hewley."

"Hometown."

"Banora."

"Occupation?"

"1st Class SOLDIER Commander."

"For who?"

"The Shinra Electric Company."

"Who owned it?"

"President Shinra."

"Leader of the SOLDIERs?"

"General Sephiroth."

"Your best friend-"

"Genesis Rhapsodos. We grew up together." He said softly with a slight grimace as he recalled his not-so-fallen friend. It seemed like it was just yesterday when Zack had came to him after defeating the so called Fire Lieutenant. His best friend. And now he- His head shot up when he felt a warm gentle hand rest on his leather gloved one, Anise had leaned closer to him comfortingly patting his hand.

"Sir-"

"Angeal."

She tried to hide the grimace, but it was clearly evident that she still didn't believe him. "A-Angeal. I want to believe you, I really truly do. But...this is basic knowledge, and I can't think of anyway you could possibly prove that you really are Angeal Hewley. You took a pretty bad fall, you're just a little confused. Maybe we could go to the hospital down the road and have you checked in-"

"Do you have somewhere private we could go?" He abruptly asked after musing how to convince her, when he recalled something that would secure her belief in him. She bit her lip then glanced around herself before sighing with a shake of her head.

"Yes. I'm staying at the hotel here, but-"

"I'll show you something that will prove my identity. But please believe me when I say that I will not hurt you." He said quietly as he sensed the innate fear reside within her, and he didn't blame her. He was asking her to take a man she met just moments ago to a secure, quiet location alone. It was only natural that she was afraid and Angeal didn't want her to fear him, he'd never do anything of the sort to hurt her, just the thought of that sent a stabbing pain in his heart.

"Then lets go." She said quietly as she finished up her coffee then moved to throw the Styrofoam cup away, patiently waiting for Angeal to finish his as well then both weaved through the crowds, down several halls, rode through an unbearably silent elevator lift and eventually found themselves entering a small hotel room. He couldn't help but sigh in relief to be away from the loud ruckus of the crowded convention, and in a quiet room where the only sounds at the moment were his and Anise's breathing. She turned to him, lightly biting her lower lip then spoke up-

"I told my children I'd call back once I had gotten back from the convention downstairs and-" She said as he only nodded then glanced around the room silently waiting for her to do what she needed to do. The room was wallpapered with red and gold muted stripes, one bed, a fairly large air conditioning system, a small entertainment system with working TV, coffee table and a tiny kitchenette where Anise was pacing as she called her children. Angeal was taken aback that the young woman before him had children of her own, she seemed too young to have kids but he didn't want to pry, at least not until he had her full trust.

_"Hi, mommy!" _

A small voice said happily causing Angeal to turn to Anise as she held the phone away from her ear and just below her mouth as she set the phone to speaker, and he had a hunch that it was to prove that she indeed had children and if anything was to happen to her, then those children would be left motherless. Anise smiled at the sound of her daughter, then lightly frowned with a shake of her head.

"Cheri, what have I told you about answering the phone?"

_"To not to. But I knew it was you-"_

"Cheri-"

"_Sorry, momma. I won't do it again. Promise!_" The little girl replied back firmly causing her mother to lightly chuckled to herself then caught sight of Angeal curiously watching her.

"Could you pass the phone to Rudy?"

_"O-tay, momma! Do you want me and Rudy to clear the guest bedroom?" _Angeal watched as Anise's amused expression change to one of concern.

"Why would you ask that?"

_"Well, aren'tcha going to bring that man with you home?" _Her body went ridged at the words her daughter had spoken, if she bit her lip any more then it would eventually open up and bleed. Taking a deep breath, she quickly calmed herself, much to Angeal's surprise then answered back.

"What man are you taking about, sweetie?"

_"The one you brought to your hotel room. He's very special, isn't he, momma?"_

"How- J-Just put Rudy on the line, hon. I'll see you soon." Anise said quickly with a light grimace as she re-called that one special thing about her daughter, then after a quick kiss goodbye the voice of her son came on the line.

_"Mom? Cheri says you're bringing someone over-"_

"Cheri, is just...anyways, I just wanted to let you know that I'm back in my hotel room and that I can't wait to see my two favorite kiddos again. Love you lots, and send Mrs. Kroger my regards." She replied back nervously then smiled as her son replied back as if things were as normal as can be. A moment later, the phone beeped, signaling the end of the phone call. He watched as she quietly placed her phone on the counter then turned to him crossing her arms over her chest, with a shuddering sigh.

"Well. What are you going to show me?" She asked as Angeal turned his head to the side then answered back-

"You might want to sit down-"

"I'm comfortable right here."

"Very well then, its your prerogative." He said with a light shrug then grimaced as the sharp pain struck at his temples once more, he shook it off then closed his eyes focusing on a central point of his back. He was able to fight back the grimace, he had revealed it so many times now that it almost didn't hurt...almost. He watched as her eyes widened, hand flying to cover her mouth as her body trembled at the sight of the outstretched single ivory wing. She was quiet carefully studying his wing as her eyes began to dart from his face and back to the wing.

"You're afraid of me." He said noticing her distance from him, her head abruptly snapped up to his mako blue eyes then shook her head as a pathetic attempt at a smile came upon her lips.

"No...I was scared when my son came home saying he was bit by a rattlesnake." She replied back slowly taking a step forward, "I was frightened when my daughter was born pre-maturely and might not have lived to 1 month. No...I'm not afraid of you. Surprised, but not afraid of you, _**Mr. Hewley."**_

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><p><em><strong>Thanks for the reviews! Hope you like it! <strong>_

_**~This story was inspired from Dragonia27's story 'Gods Touched' and 'A year of memories' on Deviant Art! All credits go to her!~**_

_**God Bless!**_


	3. Chapter 3

Anise wasn't quite sure what to with the burly SOLDIER before her, she was still recovering from the shock of seeing the large white wing emerge from his shoulder blades. Her mind was still screaming out at the impossibility of it all, that Angeal Hewley, 1st Class SOLDIER from Crisis Core was standing in the middle of her hotel room. And yet there he was, arms crossed, eyes narrowed as he focused on retracting the wing back till all that was left was just few measly feathers that drifted to the floor.

"Well, Mr. Hewley. We now have a much bigger situation on our hands. How…What was the last thing that happened before you appeared here. Because I can assure you that this is not Gaia." She said slowly walking closer to him, bending down to pick up the loose feathers and toss them in the trash when she recalled a certain promise to her daughter. Her tanned fingers drifted across the fallen feather then gently lifted it up and lightly twirled it between two fingers.

"I…recall helping a dark haired young man-"

"Zack Fair?"

"Yes…my student. I was helping him…into the life stream. And I was pulling him up and then I felt myself falling back…and onto you. That's the last thing I can remember." He said with a light grimace as he pressed his fingers to his temple with a shake of his head then glanced over to Anise's hunched form.

"If you don't mind me asking, but what are you doing?"

Anise turned around with a warm smile then looked down at the feathers in her hand before walking over to the kitchenette to grab a ziplock bag and place the ivory feathers inside.

"I promised my daughter that one day I'd get feathers from an angel wing to make a dream catcher for her. And it looks like I can finally make it." She said softly as she placed the feather filled ziplock bag inside her suitcase, zipping it shut then kept her hand on it as she recalled her sweet little girl.

"I'm no angel-"

"That's a matter of opinion, Mr. Hewley. In my eyes, you're not a monster. A monster couldn't possibly have beautiful wings like _that_." She with a twitch of her mouth, Angeal recognized from a memory of his mother, which signaled end of the conversation. They were both silent for a moment, niether one sure of what to do next, after all what did you do when a character from a game series appeared before you.

"Well…um…I suppose we ought to figure out what you're doing here. As I said before, this is not the planet you're familiar with."

"Could you please tell me where exactly I am then?" He asked glancing at his surroundings again, his fingers twitching at his side as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Anise instantly noticed the signs of anxiety, after all how many times could she recall seeing her children with the same expressions.

"You're on planet earth. Its very similar to Gaia. It has mountains, valley, trees and other basic landscapes. But…um…" Anise faltered as she began to wonder how exactly to tell him. "…Mr. Hewley-"

"Please just call me Angeal."

"Okay then. But…what I'm about to tell you…is going to sound ridiculous but I promise it's the full truth." She warned him as he nodded then waited for her to continue, she saw the concerned look in his sky blue mako eyes.

"In this world, what you considered Midgar and Gaia itself, the entire fiasco Zack had gone through…was a video game here called Crisis Core. We have no Mako energy here or the life stream." She explained slowly not quite sure it would be good to tell him just yet that Crisis Core was only the prequel to the actual story.

"I see…what all did it show?"

"From the time you had Zack training in Sector 8, on the Mark 93-2, up until his death." She said quietly as she inwardly winced at the cutscene of Zack's imminent death. Then her light blue eyes looked over to the darker haired man, it was easy to see the pain in his eyes even if his expression didn't show it. Instinctively she walked up to him and placed her hand on his shoulder comfortingly, she wasn't sure what else she could do to comfort the young man other than just randomly hugging him, which might set him over the edge.

"You know this isn't all your fault. He died honorably, defending everything he believed in…including you. And that boy, he saved…would eventually save the entire planet as well. If it weren't for you, Zack never would have done that. But right now, we need to figure out what exactly happened that got you sent here and what will happen if you go back." She said soothingly hoping that he might see sense and not blame himself for all the trouble, even if most of it would have been different had he not had Zack destroy himself. Angeal looked at the woman before her as she gently squeezed his shoulder, he nodded knowing she was right about some things…but also some things even he would never let go, at least not yet.

"I don't understand any of this. Why I was brought here…I died. I've lived my life so what am I doing here?"

"Maybe you've been given a second chance-"

"I don't deserve another chance, not after what I did to Zack-"

"Well that's not up to you to decide."

"I suppose not."

"Hmm. Well, even if this is all by accident or whether or not you've been sent here to live again. You'll need a place to stay and a change of clothes." She said pulling away from him and moving over to her purse that laid on the small entrance table to her hotel room. " You don't exactly fit in and we don't know how long you'll be here."

"I don't have the currency this planet uses, I can't buy anything-"

"I never said _you_ were going to buy anything did I? I'll cover this, it's the least I can do for you. But I'm afraid that you'll have to come with me…and leave the shoulder pads and leather gear here. I'd rather not have people think I associate with terrorists." She said with a playful smile as Angeal glanced down at his rather war like appearance, he firmly nodded in agreement before removing his armor…

* * *

><p>"That wasn't too hard." Anise said as she closed the hotel door to her room with a few bags resting on her wrist while Angeal shook his head at her.<p>

"Thank you for the kind gesture, but I don't think I could ever repay-"

"I'm not asking you to repay me in anyway, Angeal Hewley. I just want to help you." She said firmly before placing the bags on the bed as Angeal watched her, a bit ashamed that there was nothing he could possibly do to ever repay her for her kindness.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" Anise asked a bit taken aback by the question as Angeal looked over to the darkened window, the shades were cracked just so to reveal the starlight and shimmering moon.

"Why are you helping me?"

"I just…I don't know. I just want to help you in anyway that I can. I don't want you to pay me back for any of this, consider it a gift. Besides I do this all the time for my children-"

"No offence mam, but I'm _not_ one of your children."

"No, you're not. But seem to me just as lost as one. Which is why I've been thinking a lot about this." She frowned with a tilt of her head then glanced at the bags of clothing. It had been nearly impossible to find clothes that would fit the burly SOLDIER, eventually she gave up and surrendered into going to a Big and tall clothing store which didn't have very many 'decent' clothes that she thought would be fitting for a SOLDIER. But never the less she got what she could and dragged the 1st class back to her hotel room.

"You don't have anywhere to go. This is an entirely new planet, new culture, new people and everything. Perhaps it'd be best if you'd come home with me…that is, until you get your bearings and we figure out what exactly happened." Anise said lightly pacing the floor knowing that the SOLDIER would resist returning home with her, but she wasn't sure what to do with him and she certainly wasn't about to let him wander about Earth without a clue of everything around him.

"Thank you for the offer, but I don't think your husband would be pleased to have his wife come home with a strange man, like myself." Angeal said with a wave of his hand over the bags of clothing "Especially after buying these things for me."

"Oh…_oh_. I didn't tell you did I?" She frowned with a shake of her head. "I'm not married…or rather, not anymore. We're divorced. You don' t have to worry about him and besides you don't have any where to go. I insist you come with me."

Angeal stared at the woman in disbelief. Divorced? He wondered what exactly made the marriage go sour, because the woman he saw before him had to be one of the nicest people he knew outside of Zack that is and his own mother. A single mother with two children. He knew he shouldn't intrude on their lives, but she was right. He had no inkling of how this culture worked and had no where to go. "I suppose that I could stay with you for a few weeks, but I don't want to be a bother."

"Trust me. You wouldn't be a bother at all. Its my _children_ I'm worried about bothering _you_. They can be a handful at times."

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><p>Yays! Thank you all for the awesome reviews! It makes me update all the more faster!<p>

_**~This story was inspired from Dragonia27's story 'Gods Touched' and 'A year of memories' on Deviant Art! All credits go to her!~**_

_~God Bless!~_


	4. Chapter 4

"You have my deepest appologies-" Angeal began while watching Anise move around the room. It was something he felt he had to say.

"For what?" Anise asked as she check the suitcase zipper. It wasn't running smoothly and she was fidgeting with it. Finally the zipper gave way and she continued closing the luggage.

"Because I'm aware that you're returning home early because of me." Angeal's voice was low and soft as he tried to keep the guilt out of it. He fought the urge to look at his shoes as Anise stopped moving.

Anise paused as her hands rested on top of her suitcase, the corner of her lips twitching in agitation and surprise. She turned around looking at him curiously before asking how he knew that.

"You left your hotel receipt on the counter, I…glanced over it." He said, rather ashamedly, feeling like the little boy who was caught with his hands in the cookie jar. Although he didn't know how exactly that felt because his family never could afford that small treat in the midst of all their other bills pilling up.

"Well, I only planned to stay one day here, the extra was just in case I decided otherwise. I don't like being so far from my children." She lied through her teeth, not about the length between herself and her kids because in that short time, she did miss them. But that wasn't the case, she _did_ plan on two days but felt that under the circumstances it was best she returned home as soon as possible._._

"I see." He easily saw through the lie. Her pupils were dilating, and fingers twitched incessantly at her sides. Whether it was because they had just shut off the air conditioner or her worry, he took it into consideration.

"Anyways, it's a long drive home so we'd better get some rest. I'll take the pull-out couch and you can have the bed-"

"I'd rather have the sofa-"

"No, no. I'm not the one who was just brought back to life. I'm sure the Lifestream wasn't all that easy on your body in bringing you back." Anise said firmly as she turned back to the luggage before placing it on the ground and over by the doorway. She looked over to the First Class who sat on a chair by the entertainment system, looking rather…nervous? She wasn't quite sure what the word was, but it was easy to tell that he was uncomfortable.

"What is it?"

"I just…think you're doing too much for me."

"Oh, none of that!" She sighed with a shake of her head. " I want you to come with me, after all I'm the one that suggested it."

He sighed, closing his eyes then nodded, knowing she was right. He felt like he was taking advantage of her in some form or another. However, she had it set in her mind that he was going to come with her and she was going to do her best to help him in any way possible. With that known and not wanting to argue any more than necessary, he gratefully took the bed while she rested on the couch.

The only sounds in the room that night was the air conditioning and Anise's soft breathing, which compared to the sounds of guns and the clash of swords was soothing to Angeal's ears as he listened for her rhythmic breathing to signal that she was asleep. It took some time, after all, there was a video game character sleeping in her hotel room. Eventually the gentle breaths began a pattern and she was resting, unlike the SOLDIER 1st who sat up with his fingers pressed to his temples. He didn't want to bother her over the stabbing pain behind his eyes. He figured it would pass but it seemed to be getting stronger with each passing minute. Wanting something to distract him, he got out of bed and strode over to where the woman was sleeping and silently knelt beside her.

He didn't quite get a close look at her features, and for some odd reason it seemed like his usual Mako enhanced vision wasn't as sharp as before. Her light brown hair fell a few inches past her shoulders and pale pinkish lips. It was easy to tell that her skin wasn't naturally tanned as it was now, he could see a slight tan line across her shoulders. After seeing the line, he recalled something else she mentioned. She wasn't married. Naturally, he glanced over to her hands to see that there was no wedding ring or the usual mark of one after being worn for so long. Seeing no trace of the ring, he knew from that small fact that it had been years since she last wore the ring. Usually, took in the _least_, six months for the markings to completely disappear.

"Who would have thought that watching all those detective movies with Zack actually paid off?" Angeal murmured to himself with a soft chuckle then stood up, moving back to the bed seeing that there wasn't anything very special about the woman who helped him. It did leave him pondering about what awaited them when she finally reached home. She didn't mention much about her children, except that she had ten year old boy named Rudy and a six year old daughter that went by the name of Cheri. However, there was one thing that did bother him. How did the little girl even know about him and of his coming to their house before her mother had even made up her mind about it?

He abruptly clenched his teeth as another sharp stab of pain flared behind his eyes. He decided that maybe he ought to try to rest, after all it was probably just his body adjusting to this new world…he hoped.

The next morning he woke up to the sound of the shower running and the smell of lavender body wash was wafted through the air vents. Seeing that it was the start of a new day, he stretched out for a moment then got up glad that the throbbing pain in his skull was gone. However, the second his feet touched the ground it was back like a Bandersnatch in a fury. Fighting back the grunt of pain, he continued to push forwards and towards the object that had caught his eye when he first entered the room the day before. The coffee pot. Once again he found something to distract himself with as he figured out how to work it then succeeded in actually making a decent cup of the hot liquid caffeine. The bitter taste brought back the memories of a certain spiky dark haired teen, Zack Fair, the mischievous Second Class who first introduced him to what was now his lifeblood.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips after taking another sip before moving towards the chair beside the TV system, he could recall how everything had first gotten started…

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><p>"Looks like someone's age is finally catching up to them!" Zack snickered as he watched Angeal get up from his sleeping bag with a groan only to send a fierce glare at the peppy SOLDIER before him.<p>

"I'm not that old, Zackary. One of these days, the Goddess be damned, I'll find out how on Gaia you get that much energy. Its inhuman how you keep it up every day." Angeal growled as he stretched his muscles briefly before he stepped away from the tent he was sharing with his student. He had decided to take Zack training out in the fields to fight actual monsters. After all things were much more different in real life than in the Virtual Reality system. And as crazy as it was, Zack seemed to flourish under the harsh morning training regimes Angeal inflicted on him. It was only to make him the best that he could be. He had to admit though, he had taken a lot of pride in his student, he was unlike any person he had ever met. Smart, witty, funny when he wanted to be and so…full of life. Just like a child, everything was still so very new to him. Everything was whimsical in one form or another to the Second Class and that old-yet-new perspective brightened up Angeal's day…and more often than not, threw his day into chaos too.

"Huh? Oh! That's easy!" Zack frowned for a moment then his eyes lit up. He dashed over to his pack only to pull out several white packets then thrust one at Angeal with a happy-go-lucky grin. Angeal, however, didn't know what was actually inside the packets and the first thing that came to mind was-

"Zack. Steroids will eventually wear off and you'll wind up being addicted to them-"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Wait a minute!" Zack yelped out with a shake of his head. "Those aren't steroids! Its instant coffee mix! Sheesh, you thought I was taking that?"

"What did you expect me to think? That you actually got energy from a sugary-caffeine induced high?" Angeal snorted looking over his student to see if the teen was suffering from some side effect of the coffee.

"Well...yeah." The student replied shyly scuffling his feet, knowing that Angeal didn't approve of his methods of getting through the day.

"You're joking."

"Nope. Give it a try and then you can be the judge of whether it helps or not. Trust me!"

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><p>Famous last words. And last it was, because after that morning, Angeal never stepped out of his apartment without having his morning dose of the kindly <em>sugary- caffeine <em>that was coffee. A sharp pang stung at his heart at the fond memory of his student, before everything had fallen apart…before Angeal had hurt him the way he did. Forcing Zack to be his mentor's executioner, then to carry on Angeal's legacy while dealing with the problems he had left behind for his student…and friend. _Gods_, how he wished he could re-write time. Things would have been so different, if only-

"Hey. What's the matter?" A soft voice said as a gentle hand rested on his shoulder. He looked back to see Anise standing behind him with a towel slung over her shoulder. He glanced over her appearance which was a simple white tank top, faded blue jacket, and dark blue jeans while her hair fell down her shoulders.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." He replied quietly as his eyes darted away from her and down at his now-empty cup of coffee. With drawing into his own world much like a turtle would curl back into his shell.

"O-Okay then. Well I'm going to go downstairs and check us out, so why don't you shower and get ready to go while I do that and grab some breakfast. How's that sound?" She said releasing her hold on his shoulder then turned to grab her purse after seeing his nod of agreement. By the time she had gone to the front counter, signed herself out, picked up a few items from the continental breakfast table and returned back to the room, Angeal was already showered, dressed and had their luggage sitting by the door.

"Wow, you work fast!" She remarked before placing the tray on the table " I wasn't sure what you'd want to I took a little bit of everything."

"Thank you." He said before reaching over to the apple that sat on the far corner of the tray as they started their breakfast and half an hour later, they were walking into the parking lot of the hotel and towards a dark blue Ford F-150. They made quick work of loading up the luggage into the bed of the truck then things took a turn for the worse. Angeal was about to slide into the passenger seat when the sharp stabbing pain abruptly turned into bright flashes of light and the stabbing feeling turned into one of burning.

"Angeal! What is it?" Anise said as she reached across the driver side to the 1st Class, who merely brushed her off, not wanting her to worry about him, but the damage was done and she had gone on mother alert.

"Don't you dare tell me nothing's wrong. You're in pain, I'm taking you to the hospital-"

"No. I'm…fine. Just a headache-"

"You know I don't believe that."

"I'm aware. But…I'd rather not go to a hospital, considering I have no files anywhere on this planet proving my existence. The pain is passing, let's just go now." He argued with her as she shook her head. Eyeing him skeptically she reached across Angeal to yank open the glove compartment, pulling out a small 3x2 inch packet and placed it in his palm.

"I'd feel much better if you let me take you to the hospital, but if you're intent on being stubborn, then just take this. Its painkillers that should in the least take the edge off the headache." She said then grabbed the water bottle sitting in the cup holder across from her and thrust it into his other hand. "Take it or I will take _you_ to the hospital."

A few moments later the packet was empty, the water in the bottle was half gone and they were on the road. Anise didn't make conversation till after they were out of the city, since Angeal seemed to want to soak up every piece of scenery and object they drove by then at last they were met with endless countryside.

The sights of the prairies and fields instantly sent that nostalgia feeling back to Angeal as his supposed 'headache' died off. Some things were very much like his hometown of Banora, and yet so very different, everything about this world was familiar and alien as well. Eventually the silence between the two began to eat at them and Angeal decided to find out more about her home.

"Well…We live out in boonies, or in more proper terms, I live in a very small remote country town. Sort of. My home is half an hour from the town and it takes 15 to 20 minutes to reach any neighbors." She explained with a small smile as she recalled the place she called home.

"There's a 2 story farm house, a stable in the back, chicken coop and a few cattle. I have like about 10-15 acres of land behind the house…I don't know how much that would be on Gaia, but it's a good sized piece of land. The kids just love it out there…"

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><p>It was ten o clock at night when the two drove down a small country road and up an even smaller dirt path leading up to the farm house that Anise had described to the dark haired SOLDIER. He glanced over to Anise to see the smile daring to appear on her lips as she saw her home and a few of the lights lit up in anticipation for her.<p>

"I thought I told those kids not to stay up past 10." She scolded but Angeal could easily hear the happiness hidden behind her chiding tone. He smiled glad to see her so relaxed and happy, however those happy feelings were blown away like feathers on the wind when the truck came to a halt in the driveway and the almost like a flash of lightning the pain was worse than anything he could have ever possibly imagined.

He doubled over in his seat, his hands instantly moving to clutch his head as the pain seared throughout his skull. He didn't understand why this was happening to him. He had no major injuries and what ever could be classified as a major injury wouldn't actually be quite so severe because of his Mako enhanced healing. He could hear Anise shaking his shoulder frantically and for the first time in meeting her, he heard her swear worse than some of the SOLDIERs he had worked with. Wanting to reassure her that he'd be fine, he turned towards her but that simple movement sent his head spinning and rushing into an overwhelming darkness.

"Damn it, Angeal! I told you we should've-Argh!" She snarled out as she leapt out from the driver's seat and ran the length of the truck to his side to fling the door open and have his heavy frame fall on her once again.

"Mommy?"

"Mom?"

Anise's eyes darted over to the two smaller figures standing on the front porch waiting for her happy return, she glanced at unconscious SOLDIER 1st then back to her kids before waving them over.

"Rudy, come here and help me. We need to get him inside, Cheri, get the door open-" Anise said quickly as she reached across Angeal to unbuckle the seatbelt and slowly slide him out of the car. She felt her son appear next to her anxiously, stopping for a moment she looked down at him and lightly ruffled his hair. "Its okay honey, he's just not feeling very well at the moment. But right now I need you to be my big strong boy and help me get him inside the house, okay?"

Rudy's eyes lit up for a moment as he gave his mom a firm nod before answering back " Okay mom!"

"I-I swept out the guest b-bedroom! And-and shook out the sheets all by myself, Momma!" Cheri said cheerily as she looked up to her mother then over to the man leaning against said mother. "Don't worry, Momma! It's like you said, right? He'll be right as…right as…what was it, Momma?"

"Rain, sweetie." Anise grunted out as Angeal's full weight rested on her shoulders while Rudy struggled to get Angeal's other arm around his shoulders. "He'll be right as rain. Go get the door, Cheri."

"Okay, Momma!" Cheri instantly raced towards the front door as the two older people staggered forwards under the weight of the Banoran-born man. Cheri looked at the three happily as she swung open the screen door as wide as she possibly could manage and patiently waited for her mother and brother to enter the home. Things were much harder getting him up the stairs compared to getting down the truck. However, slowly but surely they made their way up and into the guest bedroom to find the sheets tucked back and the double window wide open to allow the strong moonlight to stream into the room.

"There we are. Rudy, hon, could you get a rag from the bathroom and dampen it with some cold water?" Anise sighed once they had gotten Angeal laying on the bed without so much as a mumble or grunt from him the entire time they fought to get him in the humble abode.

Without another word Rudy left the room to dash into the bathroom across the hall for the items his mother requested as his sister tip-toed to get a better look at the man laying in the freshly shaken sheets. A smile came across her small features as she looked at him. She thought he was rather handsome compared to some of the men she had seen in town when she went out on the weekly grocery shopping trips with her mother. But, she decided, he didn't look anything like the Prince Charmings in her story books. More like the king or guards keeper even!

"Here you go mom." Rudy said once he returned with the moistened cloth, Anise nodded quickly folding it up length wise and placing it on the resting man's forehead. Once she was sure he seemed comfortable and wouldn't need anything, she ushered her children out of the room and once the door was silently shut, her legs and waist were ambushed by her children.

"Mommy! Mommy! I missed you!"

"Yeah, Mom, it wasn't the same without you." Rudy admitted. He felt as the oldest that his mother's departure shouldn't have affected him, but secretly it did.

"I missed you guys too!" She said hugging both her kiddos, then pulled away briefly to look at each of them seriously. "I need you two to do me a biig favor, okay?"

"Okay, Momma!"

"Sure."

"Well that man in the guest room is going to be staying with us for a while and I want you two to behave the best you can, okay?" she said as her hands rested on each of their shoulders. "Right now, he needs to sleep and might sleep for a few days so that means-"

"We need to be extra quiet, right Mommy?" Cheri pipped up happily as Anise nodded then brought her children closer to her in a hug before kissing each of their heads, motioning them to head off to their beds to be tucked and eventually she herself retired to her own room, exhausted after the long drive and the idea that a video game character was across the hall from her.

However, not everyone in the household was sleeping or had gone to sleep. The little girl slipped out of her rosy colored bed, fiercely clutching her stuffed angel bear as she padded across the wooden floorboards and over to the guest bedroom. She opened the door without fear of disturbing the sleeping guest and moved across the room as her hair cascaded down her shoulders freely. She approached the bed then tip-toed as high as she possibly could while holding up her winged teddy and placing it beside the sleeping SOLDIER with a soft smile as the plush leaned against the large man's chest. Seeing that her bear was safely in place, she lowered herself down and took a step back with a contented sigh.

"Don't worry, Angeal. Mr. Angel will keep you safe, he was my guardian angel before, but now that you're here, I don't need him anymore." She whispered then began to slowly walk towards the door and just before she stepped out Cheri glanced back once more with a happy giggle. "You're my guardian angel now. Don't let mommy, down."

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><p><em>Thank you all for the amazing reviews! I am soo happy to say that Dragonia27 actually Beta read this piece! Yays! Now you don't have such a hard time reading it! Round of applause for her! <em>

_**~This story was inspired from Dragonia27's story 'Gods Touched' and 'A year of memories' on Deviant Art! All credits go to her!~**_

_**God Bless!**_


	5. Chapter 5

He didn't know how he had gotten there. In the midst of a field of flowers. But the last thing he recalled was turning toward Anise answer a question of some sort. Then there was a curtain of blackness that fell over him for a moment followed by a blinding white light. He could sense someone standing behind him, but there was a tiny whisper of a voice that warned him not to turn around. Silence reigned between the two men as Angeal's eyes adjusted to the stark whiteness to see that he was surrounded by white and yellow flowers along with soft wisps of green grass.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see dark spiky hair and a familiar SOLDIER uniform. He didn't know what to say to the young man behind him…or rather, he was afraid of what the youth was thinking of him. Nothing more than an angel fallen from grace. _He_ probably didn't want to hear Angeal's excuses, his remorse filled apologies.

"Well? Aren'tcha gonna say something?" The dark haired young man lightly smiled as his words eased the mood. Angeal couldn't help as the half smile crossed his lips. His student- _former_ student had never changed, not once in his last pain ridden few years. Even after all the troubles. All the turmoil's. All the trials and tribulations. His cheerful, bright and enthusiastic personality never failed. Never. Even now as they were back to back, but with an odd-yet-familiar twist. Angeal's memories brought him back to the Wutai War with Shinra, he and Zack were in the second division surrounded by AVALANCHE insurgents that had sided with Wutai. The two SOLDIERs were back to back, Zack's smaller form slightly resting against Angeal as the younger man began to tire from the ceaseless fighting. But now the roles were reversed. Angeal hadn't even truly realized it until Zack shifted a bit and he felt himself slightly stumble.

"Zack." He paused closing his eyes momentarily. "I'm sorry."

"For what, Angeal?" The teen laughed playfully as his elbow lightly nudged Angeal's arm then a soft sigh escaped his lips. " What do you have to be sorry for?"

"For being selfish. For not thinking of you and how it'd affect you and for-" Angeal said quietly as a tremor echoed within his deep stoic voice. He would have continued listing his faults and reasons, if he hadn't felt Zack shaking his head at him.

"Angeal, I never blamed you, you know? Things just got out of hand really fast. There's nothing to forgive." Zack assured his former mentor as a shuddering breath of air escaped Angeal's lungs; the relief, the sudden weight was lifted from his chest and onto the small breeze of air that flowed past them.

"Then why was I brought back?" Angeal asked as Zack chuckled turning his head in the direction of his mentor, but not to where Angeal could fully see the youth's features. The urge to look his former student in the eyes was becoming unbearable, but he tried to manage that growing temptation.

"Geal. They need you more than you think. Who knows? Maybe you need them just as they need you." Angeal furrowed his brow while shifting his weight from one foot to another. He had to completely disagree with Zack. What could a single mother of two, need from him?

"I don't think I'm suitable for this. It should be you, Zack. Not me." Angeal argued slightly twisting towards his student but before he could stop himself, he had fully rotated to face his student. However as the fates had it a warm bright light blinded him while Zack's voice softly echoed all around him.

"_Sorry Angeal. But you're the only one for the job. And besides it's not really up to you."_

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><p>The warm light was actually sunlight streaming in through the thin curtains. He grimaced turning on his side to escape the ever present light when a soft thump startled him and forced him to investigate what had fallen. Confused, he lifted up what had landed on the wooden floor, ever so gently holding it between his calloused hands. Small black button eyes looked up at him emotionlessly as Angeal turned the soft toy over while closely examining it. It was a simple bear. Button eyes, black nose, soft warm hazelnut fur and lastly, the irony of it all was that it had a pair of fabric angel wings sewed onto its back. He wondered where the bear had come from and was about to stand up to investigate the home and search for Anise when the sound of soft feet hurried past his door. His ears strained to hear the soft whispers when one of the two pairs of feet stopped then began to approach his door. A small dark haired girl, dressed in a light yellow and white checkered dress, pushed the door open as she calmly strode into the former SOLDIER's room, her eyes alight with curiosity. A wide smile broke across her face as she noticed the teddy bear in Angeal's grasp as she crossed the floor to his side continuing her beaming smile. All the while Angeal was completely stunned at the little girl, who seemed to show no fear of the strange man that was currently residing in her home.<p>

"Is this yours?" Angeal asked carefully not wanting the little girl to be startled by his deeper voice, but fortunately the dark haired girl simply nodded then moved to climb up on the bed beside him. She struggled to get her footing, while losing her grip on the sheets several times until the point came where Angeal pitied her attempts and spoke up again.

"Would you like me to help you up?" The blue eyed girl looked up at him with a tilt of her head and continued to smile as she finally spoke.

"Y-Yes, please!" With a light chuckle Angeal turned his torso to lift the girl onto his current bed while his thoughts drifted back to Anise. She had said she had two children. Was this the curious little girl, Cheri, who knew of his coming before anyone else? The corner of his lips threatened to curl into a smile at the thought of children. He had always wanted to settle down. However with his job as a SOLDIER, he never really had the time to go out and find someone to spend the rest of his days with and even when he did have the time…he just never found _the one._

"His name is Mr. Angel Bear." Cheri said matter a factly as Angeal slowly nodded then looked at the tiny girl sitting fearlessly beside him.

"And what's your name?" He asked as Cheri simply stared forward then shifted her weight on the bed till she was sitting cross-legged and leaned on her elbows.

"Don't you already know, Angeal? I'm Cheri." She said coolly as Angeal watched the little girl, curious about how on Gaia, or rather now, Earth, did she know that?

"I must have forgotten it. How did you know my name? Did your mother tell you about me?" He asked as Cheri rocked back and forth with a shake of her head and continued to scoot closer and closer to Angeal, which frankly slightly unnerved the SOLDIER First Class. This tiny six year old girl wasn't in the least afraid of him! He'd met older _boys _who fainted at the sight of him, once even an adult man! However this dark haired child, that barely even came to his thigh, sat beside him as though she had known him since birth.

"Nah-uh! I just knew." At that short reply the dark haired man frowned then realized he was still holding onto the bear, and he automatically turned to hand it over to the six year old but was once again taken aback a moment later.

"I-I want you to keep him. I don't need Mr. Angel anymore now that you're here to-" Cheri said as Angeal leaned closer wondering just how much this child knew about his existence. However, right as she was about to explain his being on this planet another person peered into the room.

"Cheri! What did I just tell you last night? I am so sorry, Angeal if she woke you up." Anise said as she entered the room heading straight towards her daughter who looked up innocently at her mother as though she had no clue as to what she did wrong.

"B-But momma! He was already awake-" Cheri said adamantly as her mother quickly snatched her up into her arms and placed her on her hip.

"Its okay, Anise. She didn't bother me in the slightest." Angeal assured the woman who seemed a bit flustered with everything. Angeal stood up straightening his shirt then looked over to Cheri- " We were just having a little talk. Thank you, Cheri, for the bear."

"Y-You're welcome! I know you'll be best friends!" Cheri said happily wiggling in her mothers arms, silently signaling to be put down on the ground.

"Well, that was very nice of you, Cheri, but please don't go into Angeal's room without knocking first or getting his permission." Anise said as she placed her daughter on the ground. " Now that that's settled, why don't we go downstairs for some breakfast?"

"Yay! Come on, Angeal!" Cheri cheered as she moved to take Angeal's hand in her own then reached for her mother's hand only to receive a stern reprimand.

"Cheri, what have I told you about addressing adults?"

"Oh." The little girl sighed as her expression changed into one of sorrow after realizing her mistake. "Sorry. Mr. Hewley."

Angeal couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed with the entire situation. After all he was the cause of it. With a shake of his head he looked to Anise then down at Cheri with a much softer expression. "Its quite alright. Angeal is perfectly fine. Mr. Hewley was my-"

He was going to say 'it was my father's name' but in light of the last bit of information before his inevitable death, he couldn't quite say it was true. He would always say that the man who raised him was _his _father, but his biological father was Dr. Hollander as much as he hated to admit it. And while he was in SOLDIER he did always find it odd that Dr. Hollander would always seem to _favor _him more than any other of his comrades. Never the less, he'd never ever think of Hollander as his father. He simply wasn't William Hewley.

A tiny hand gently squeezed Angeal's larger calloused one snapping him from his thoughts. For a brief moment he thought it was Anise; it had seemed like she was the one to always break him from his dreary thoughts. However this time it was the younger girl who was looking up at him sweetly as she gently swung her arm to get his attention once again.

"It's okay, Angeal." Cheri said as her dainty fingers tightened around his hand. " Mr. Hewley always loved you as his son too!"

Angeal's brow furrowed at the odd and yet comforting exclamation. He felt the edges of his lips twitch into smile as he gently patted Cheri's dark locks while softly saying "Thank you.".

He then stood up to see what Anise thought of it all, only to find her with her hands gently covering her mouth in what seemed to be amazement. She shook her head then silently motioned towards the door.

"Well, I need to get back down to the kitchen before breakfast burns. Cheri, sweetie?" Anise said as she walked towards the bedroom door only pausing for a moment as her daughter's attention was diverted from Angeal to her mother. "Could you please show Angeal around the house for me?"

"O-tay, momma!" She said beaming up at the larger man who was looking to Anise inquisitively at her choice of a guide for him then shrugged it off. He could be patient. _And besides, _He thought _It'll be interesting to see the layout of the house from the child's perspective._

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><p>Thanks for all the lovely reviews! I'm so glad to hear that people are enjoying the story! Once again this chapter was Beta read by the fabulous Dragonia27 from Deviant Art! Please keep up the reviews! Thank you! ~God Bless!~<p>

_**~This story was inspired from Dragonia27's story 'Gods Touched' and 'A year of memories' on Deviant Art! All credits go to her!~**_


	6. Chapter 6

Angeal wasn't particularly looking forward to seeing the inside of the six year olds bedroom. He expected girly pink walls, pink bedding, pink everything. So much pink that it would burn his eye sockets and all the while he'd kindly agree with the bouncing girl that it was a very pretty room. However when his ridged body forcefully walked into the little girl's bedroom-he was happily surprised.

The only pink things in the room were the small bedding and a few choice outfits on some, not all, of the dolls. The walls were colored in a soft yellow, a dark hard wood floor, and a light blue ceiling meant to resemble the sky with white clouds doting the azure hues. He couldn't help himself as he sighed relief at the lack of rose colored items while Cheri led him deeper into her fantasy room. It was the last place on the second floor of the home that Cheri hadn't shown him yet and after a quick detour to her room, they would continue their tour to the first level of the place.

"…and momma said I could put my dream-catcher, right here!" Cheri said as Angeal gently nodded continuing to glance around the room, it was very…cute. Then the full meaning of Cheri's explanation hit him.

"A dream-catcher?" Angeal asked looking over to Cheri as she sat in the middle of her bed while her tiny hand rested at the headboard of the bed. She smiled with a tilt of her head then her eyes dropped down to the small flowery rug by her bedside.

"Ah-huh. Its to keep away the bad dreams. I get really scary nightmares." Her lower lip trembled at the frightening memories of a certain silver haired, flashing green cat eyed swordsman. "He's really mean and-and he's got a really long sword that's gonna hurt me."

Angeal's eyes softened at the sound of the fright in the child's voice and while the description was lacking it did bring back one memory of a certain long sword. Cheri then looked up to where her hand rested and began to softly smile before glancing back to Angeal. "Its okay though, because mommy said that once she makes my dream-catcher then the bad dreams will go away. But I have to be pa…pat….patent…until she can get real angel feathers to use."

"Its _patient_, Cheri." A male voice said as he stood in the doorway of the little girl's room. It was a young boy barely ten or twelve years old at most. Dark brown hair flopped near his hazel colored eyes as he stared at the odd scene before him. And it certainly was odd. There was a huge bulky man in his little sister's dainty room. Not that he was afraid of him or at least he wouldn't let the man before him ever think such a thing.

"Aw, Rudy! I was trying!" Cheri complained as she climbed down from her bed and ran over to Angeal's side. Her hand instantly moving to clasp his pant leg then tightened once she had a grip on them. Angeal was once again shocked by how the tiny girl behaved around him. Did he no longer pose as a looming threat like on Gaia? It seemed that people and children were always afraid of him but this little girl didn't seem in the least frightened. " This is Angeal! He's the man you helped up the stairs with momma! Remember?"

"Of course I remember, Cheri." Rudy snapped at his sister then frowned when he saw his sister wince at his hurtful tone. His tanned cheeks flushed under the stoic gaze of the older man then nervously shifted from one foot to the other, anxious to get back to his mother's side.

"Mom wanted me to come and get you two for breakfast. After that we can show you around the stables. Is that okay?" He said more to Angeal than Cheri as he gazed down at the floor only looking up to make sure his little sister was safe with the man he had brought into the house the night before. After all, Rudy was, as his mother put it, the man of the house. It was his responsibility to look after his mother and especially his little sister. However, it was very easy to see that Cheri was completely taken by the large dark haired man standing in her room and he seemed to be fairly comfortable with her too.

"That sounds great." Angeal said with a light nod to the younger boy. Angeal could easily see that Rudy wasn't quite as welcoming as Cheri seemed to be. The ten year old had kept his distance from the SOLDIER, his stance was completely ridged, and eyes tight as he stared down the older male. It was obvious he didn't trust him in the least bit. Angeal didn't blame him. In fact he was actually glad to see that Anise's son was so determined to keep his family safe. It reflected well on the children's upbringing.

"Follow me." Rudy said tightly as he turned his back to Angeal and headed down the hall, proceeding to climb down the stairs. Meanwhile Cheri released her grip on the Ex-SOLDIER's pant leg and moved to take hold of his hand as they continued after Rudy. After stepping off the mahogany stairs they walked a little ways down a hall until they reached what seemed to be the kitchen/breakfast area. Anise was reaching for drinking glasses from a row of shelves when Angeal and the children made their way into the kitchen. Stopping what she was doing, Anise turned around to look at the three people with a warm smile.

"Breakfast is served. Just grab a seat." Anise said before returning to her endeavor to take down an extra glass from the shelf for her new houseguest. Cheri dashed to her usual chair beside the double doors that led to the back yard and quickly pulled out a chair before smiling in Angeal's direction.

"Come sit by me! Please? Please? Pleease?" She begged patting the chair she pulled out while Angeal just nodded which earned a squeal of delight from the six year old. He took his seat beside the bouncing girl and moments later a plate of eggs and bacon was set before him. Anise returned with two more plates for her children then finally sat down with a plate of her own.

"After we finish eating I'll take you around the back and finish up the bottom part of the tour." Anise said as her fingers deftly gripped her fork while cutting into her piece of egg. " We don't have what can exactly be called a farm, but its close enough."

"We've got cows, chickens and horses too!" Cheri piped into the conversation happy to join the adult talk when she noticed Angeal's confused expression. "What is it, Angeal?"

It was then that Anise realized what the problem was. Gaia didn't have the same type of animals as Earth did. She shook her head then looked to Angeal with an apologetic smile before addressing Cheri.

"Sweetie, where he's from they don't have horses." Anise said gently then looked to Angeal who was puzzled as to what a horse was? " They're kind of like Chocobos, except that they're not birds. More like ah…Hmm…I suppose kind of like a large dog but not as hairy and they don't bark either. You can ride them just like a Chocobo, I think. I've never ridden on a chocobo before so I wouldn't know."

She explained as Angeal silently nodded but couldn't get a clear image of what the animal could have possibly looked like until he saw it for himself. Then another question came to mind as he looked down to tiny Cheri sitting beside him and Rudy who sat between his sister and mother.

"Do the children go to a school of some sort?"

Anise nearly choked on her glass of orange juice at the question then swallowed what was left before answering the question. "No. Not exactly. They're home schooled. I really don't like the school system and its less gas to spend from driving half an hour to the closest school district."

"They do have home schooling on Gaia, don't they?" Anise asked as Angeal slowly nodded then looked to his half eaten plate of food. Memories of his own school days came back to mind. Racing Genesis to the school yard. He had heard of home schooling, but it was so rare that he barely knew anyone who had been taught at home. Genesis had a private tutor and he actually didn't have to go to the small school house in Banora, but because he wanted to make friends with the other children he suffered through the boring classes.

"They do, but it's hardly ever done. Most people couldn't afford the curriculum, it was easier to just send them to the local public school."

"That's pretty much how it is here. Now a days, people are leaning towards home schooling more but it _is_ so much easier to send them to school instead. But I want to keep my kids close and I think they learn more in the real world than in a class room." Anise agreed, glad to be able to spend so much time with her children. But the school system wasn't the only reason why she kept her kids from public school. And she wouldn't reveal that reason until much, much later.

Angeal noticed the sudden mood switch when Anise spoke of why she had home schooled. There seemed to be…_is it pain in her eyes?_ Angeal thought as he continued to study the young woman before him._ No. Not pain. __**Fear.**_

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><p>Thank you! Thank you! For all the great reviews! Sorry for the long wait! Once again this chapter was Beta read by the fabulous Dragonia27 from Deviant Art! Please keep up the reviews! Thank you! ~God Bless!~<p>

_**~This story was inspired from Dragonia27's story 'Gods Touched' and 'A year of memories' on Deviant Art! All credits go to her!~**_


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